Means for casting off knitted fabric stitches



' Filed Aug. 12, 1966.

Oc t. 31, 1967 1 J. BORNE 3,349,576

' MEANS FOR CASTING OFF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES 1 v 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE N TOR.

A g p Attorney Jean Borne Oct. 31, 1967 J. BORN E MEANS FOR CASTING OFF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES Filed Aug, 12, 1 966 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 MR. w [4T m m m I.. -MM GMM m If: ii a II. Y m mm I hm mN vm b mw RN mm H .m Y 3 w l M 1. ll ll. L hw mm wm 3mm NM in Q ....4 @.2.5255a: Eris; q K T m J. BORNE Oct. 31, 1967 MEANS FOR CASTING OFF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES Filed Aug. 12, 1966 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 x l w $0 K v Attorney J. BORNE MEANS FOR CASTING OFF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES Filed Aug. [12, 1966 Jean Borne IN VE N TOR.

7 Sheets-Sheet 4 W Attorney Filed Aug. 12, 1966 Oc t.31',1967 J.BQRNE 3,349,576

MEANS FOR CASTING OFF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jean Borne IN VE N TOR.

Filed Aug. 12 1966' 0a. 31, 1967 J. BORNEY 3,349,576

MEANS FOR CASTING OFF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES 7 Shegts-Sheet 6 Jean Borne 74 I Y mvgmop.

(KM Attorney Oct. 31,1967 JJBORNE 3,349,576

' MEANS FOR CASTING OFF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES Filed Aug. '12, 1966 "r Sheds-Sheet 7 Jean Borne IN VENTOR.

Attorney United States Patent f 3,349,576 MEANS FUR CASTING ()FF KNITTED FABRIC STITCHES Jean Borne, 3 Rue Pierre Bretonneau, (:hampigny-sur-Marne, France Filed Aug. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 572,049 11 Claims. (Cl. 65-448) ABSTRACT ()F THE DISCLOSURE A knitting machine having upwardly converging first and second needle beds, a first and a second set of coacting needles respectively slidable on the beds, and actuating means for coordinatedly displacing the needles to produce a knitted welt hanging down from the needles between the beds, wherein a transfer bar having a set of pins is interleavable with the first set of needles, the latter being provided with side clips positioned to receive said pins; drive means is operable upon the completion of a welt for moving the transfer bar from a withdrawn position into an interleaved position in which the pins enter in loops of said welt suspended from the first set of needles. Control means operates the actuating means to shift all the loops of the uppermost course of the welt to the first set of needles and to extend the first set of needles into the path of said pins prior to operation of said drive means with subsequent withdrawal of the first set of needles from juxtaposition with said pins upon transfer of said loops to said pins.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending US. application Ser. No. 287,290 filed June 12, 1963 now abandoned. My present invention relates to a knitting machine and to a method of operating such machine to produce a welt-type strip of fabric, e.g. as occasionally referred to by the designation French welt.

The invention has particular reference to a knitting machine of the V-bed type, e.g. as known per se from U.S. Patent No. 2,521,786 (Granov). Such machines have two oppositely inclined upwardly converging beds with grooved surfaces along which tWo sets of co-operating needles are reciprocable according to a predetermined pattern to knit a desired fabric.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a method of so operating knitting machines of the general character set forth that all the loops of the uppermost row of stitches of a finished welt are shifted simultaneously from the needle beds to respective pins of a transfer bar for removal from the V-bed structure, a related object being the provision of means in such machine for automatically performing the transfer described.

Such transfer bars are known per se, but the practice hitherto has been to deliver the stitches of a fabric strip successively, i.e. loop by loop, to the pins thereof. This operation is time-consuming and also requires close supervision by a skilled operator.

In the operation of knitting machines having a V-bed structure it has already been proposed to make one set of needles of the so-called transfer type, with an openable latch at their tip and with a loop-spreading side clip as described, for example, in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,326,694 (Sirmay) and 2,684,583 (Miller). The purpose of this arrangement is to facilitate the removal of a loop from the transfer-type needles to associated needles of the other set which, in these known systems, were generally of the simple latch type.

In a system according to my present invention, in contradistinction thereto, the set of needles receiving the loops of the final course of the finished welt are of the aforedescribed transfer type, i.e. are provided with side Patented Get. 31, 1967 clips which pursuant to an important feature are positioned to receive the pins of the transfer bar preparatorily to a shifting of the loops to the latter. While that operation is unrelated to the manner in which these needles receive the loops previously held by needles of the second set, it will be convenient to use the same construction for the last-mentioned needles to facilitate the stitch transfer from the second to the first set. Such transfer may proceed loop by loop, in conventional manner, if the machine is equipped with suitable cams for this purpose; otherwise, in accordance with a more specific feature of my invention, I provide specially shaped cams coacting with the two sets of needles for a simultaneous removal of all the loops from the second set of needles to corresponding needles of the first set.

In accordance with another important feature of my invention, a weighted traction bar stressing the fabric during the knitting of the welt is given support just before the pins of the transfer bar are introduced into the loops on the associated needles, in order to relieve the tension exerted by the traction bar upon the welt. Thereafter, before the welt is lifted off the beds by the transfer bar and after disengagement of the needles from the loops (or substantially concurrently with such disengagement), the traction bar is detached from the welt preparatorily to being anchored to the bottom course of a new welt about to be knitted. The means for detachably anchoring the traction bar to a fabric may comprise a coupling rod designed, in accordance with still another feature of the invention, as a Bowden wire.

If desired, several welts may be successively transferred to the same set of transfer'bar pins from which they may be later removed together.

In conformity with yet a further feature of the present invention, I impart to the transfer bar a composite motion which, upon bringing its pins into juxtaposition with the associated needles by a downward displacement substantially perpendicular to these needles (thus, in the general direction of the other needle bed), tilts the points of the pins upwardly so that the transfer bar assumes a more nearly horizontal position on lifting the fabric off the V-bed structure.

The above and other features of my present improvement will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of the principal elements of a knitting machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the machine as seen from the left in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View of the needle beds and associated elements forming part of the machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the needles in a different position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the beds, illustrating the needles in the same position as in FIG. 3 but drawn to a larger scale;

FIGS. 6-9 are further views similar to FIG. 3, showing still other needle positions;

FIGS. 10-12 are fragmentary face views of the front needle bed of the preceding figures in three different positions of an associated carriage;

FIGS. 13-15 are analogous face views of the rear needle bed; and

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear needle bed together with an associated fabric-tensioning mechanism.

In the ensuing description, parts that are essentially conventional are identified by letters whereas elements constituting the present improvement have numerical designations.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a knitting machine embodying my invention comprises a frame A supported on legs B, the lateral posts of this frame being interconnected by tubular beams C (only one shown). Two needle beds F and F converge upwardly at approximately a right angle to form a V-structure, these beds being straddled by a carriage generally designated H which is more fully illustrated in FIGS. 10-15 described hereinafter. Carriage H, guided by fixed rails I which are rigid with the frame A, is subdivided into two portions H H respectively overlying the front bed F and the rear bed F Each of these portions comprises a plurality of heads which straddle the two beds, two pairs of these heads being illustrated at H H and H H in FIGS. 10-12 and 13-45 together with their connecting bars S S overlying the respective beds. It is assumed that each of these beds is subdivided longitudinally into a plurality of concurrently but independently operating sections, the spacing of heads H H or H H being exactly equal to the separation of corresponding elements (e.g. the first needles) of the associated sections from each other. Only a single section of each bed will be referred to hereinafter, it being evident that the invention is also applicable to single-headed carriages.

The beds F F are formed with the usual grooves D (FIG. 10) to accommodate respective sets of needles which have been designated 4 in the case of bed F and 3 in the case of bed F The up-and-down movement of these needles is controlled in the normal manner by cams G whose wellknown mode of operation need not be explained in detail.

Suffice it to say that a programmer, in the form of a chain K carried on a drum J, controls the selective retraction and extension of these cams with reference to their bed surfaces, by means of projection studs L which act, against the force of restoring springs M, upon selector levers that have not been illustrated but may be considered similar to a control lever 12 shown in FIG. 1 and described hereinafter.

The reciprocation of the carriage H, which in cooperation with the cams G results in the interplay of the needles 3, 4 to produce a knitted fabric or welt T (FIGS. 3-8), is brought about by an otherwise conventional drive mechanism of which only a continuously rotating shaft 28 has been illustrated. In order to keep the welt T under tension as it lengthens upon the knitting of successive courses, there is provided a traction bar N Which is loaded down by one or more weights and supports a comblike array of pins P terminating in eyelets Q. A coupling rod R is insertable into the aligned eyelets Q to connect the bar N with the lowermost row of stitches of the developing fabric; the automatic insertion and removal of that rod, conventionally done by hand, will be described later.

The two sets of needles 3, 4 are both of the so-called transfer type, being provided with side clips 3a, 4a and with swingable latches 30, 40 as best seen in FIG. 5. For the concurrent displacement of all the needles of either set, I provide a pair of pusher bars 5 and 6 which respectively overlie the beds F F and are undercut at 5a, 6a to receive lugs 4b, 3b of needles 4 and 3 when the latter are in their fully retracted positions (e.g. as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7). The bars 5, 6 are transversely slidable over the beds, being attached for this purpose to carriage heads H, H by means of mounting bolts 7 passing through slots 8 of these heads.

The two ends of each bar 5, 6 carry respective cams 9, of which the former are stepped with three levels 9a, 9b, 90 (FIGS. 1()12) whereas the latter are generally triangular with two aligned faces 1011, 10c and an intermediate, offset face 10b (FIGS. 1315). The faces or steps referred to are duplicated on opposite sides of each cam and co-operate with normally retracted studs 11 and 11 respectively, which can be moved from their withdrawn position (FIG. 3) into an extended position (FIG. 4) and vice versa by programmer-controlled setting levers, not shown, generally similar to lever 12.

A transfer bar 16 carries a fixed jaw 16a and a movable jaw 16b between which a set of parallel pins 17 are held with the aid of a clamping lever 16c. Bar 16 is swingably mounted, through the intermediary of a pair of swivel heads 15, on two supporting arms 13 to which these heads are secured via pivot pins 30. Arms 13 are oscillatably mounted on a shaft 14 which, like the beds F and F is fixedly secured to the side posts of machine frame A. Shaft 14 is rigid with an arm 29 which carries a roller 26 laterally shiftable thereon. In an operative position, illustrated in FIG. 2, this roller acts as a follower of a cam 27 which is secured to shaft 28 for continuous rotation therewith. A fork 25 is axially shiftable on another fixed shaft 23 by a sleeve 22 slidably but nonrotatably surrounding that shaft, this sleeve and the fork 25 being normally repressed by a coil spring 24 into a position in which roller 26 is disaligned with cam 27. Sleeve 22 can be displaced against the spring force, i.e. to the left as viewed in FIG. 2, by a fork 21 which straddles the shaft 23 and is swingable about a fixed axle 20. To swing the fork 21 about this axle, lever 12 is pivoted by one of the studs L about its fulcrum 18 so that one of its ends bears upwardly upon an arm 19 eccentrically projecting from the hub of the fork.

Swivel head 15 is articulated at 15a to a pitman 31 whose other extremity is similarly linked at 32a to an arm 32 of a two-arm lever, pivoted at 33 to the support 13, whose other arm 34 carries a roller 35 acting as a follower for a cam 36 on shaft 28. This assembly is duplicated for each of the supporting arms 13.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 16 for a description of the mechanism for controlling the downward stress imparted to the fabric T by the traction bar N. A shaft 52, also seen in FIGS. 3, 6 and 9, carries a pair of cam disks 53 of volute profile which act upon the lower edge of bar N and, during the knitting of the fabric, occupies the position shown in FIG. 3 in which the points 53a of minimum radius of these disks are aligned with the bar N. Rod R represents the core of a Bowden wire whose sheath 56 is rigid with a bracket 56a on a motor 54 suspended from the bar N by a book 55; a similar hook 57 carries the weight 0 which balances the motor 54 so that the bar N is loaded symmetrically thereby. Motor 54 reversibly drives a traction wheel, not shown, which frictionally engages an exposed part of Wire core R to remove it from the eyelets Q or to reinsert it into these eyelets. Bar N is guided in its vertical reciprocation by strips 50 and 51 depending from beds F and F respectively.

The operation of the system described above is as follows:

At the beginning of the knitting process, selected needles 3, 4 may be extended to receive a length of yarn east along the apex of the V-bed structure F F At that instant, under the control of programmer J, K, L, shaft 52 is rotated clockwise from its previous position (FIG. 6) to elevate the traction bar N into its highest position, illustrated in FIG. 9, in which it rests on the large-radius generatrices 530 of cams 53 and its eyelets Q lie above the yarn which has been drawn into a first row of loops by the returning needles. Next, motor 54 (FIGS. 3 and 16) is operated to insert the rod R into the eyelets Q, thereby positively attaching the comb P to the bottom course of the fabric T about to be knitted. Thereafter, the programmer rotates the shaft 52 into the position of FIG. 3 and, as the knitting proceeds in the usual manner, bar N progressively descends until it reaches its bottom position in which it comes to rest on the points 53a of shortest radius.

It will be assumed that, upon completion of the final course of stitches, the loops at the top of the welt T are partly engaged by the hooks of needles 3 and partly by those of needles 4, it being thus necessary to transfer the latter hooks also to corresponding needles 3. For this purpose, after the carriage H has come to rest in one of its limiting positions, the studs 11 11 are extended (FIG. 4) so as to project into the path of the cams 9 and 10, respectively, where they engage the faces 90 and 10c thereof (see FIGS. 10 and 15). As the carriage performs its next stroke, bar 6 is elevated into the position of FIG. 14 by the studs 11 which now engage the cam faces 10b; at substantially the same time, with only a slight lag, studs 11 move the bar into the intermediate position of FIG. 11 in which these studs engage the steps 9b of cam 9. As a result of these movements, needles 4 have been fully extended whereas needles 3 are partly extended to traverse the clips 4a of the adjoining needles 4 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As the latches 4c swing open, the top loops of the fabric come to rest in the open hooks of needles 3 where they remain during the subsequent withdrawal of needles 4 by the continuing carriage stroke which brings the studs 11 into the contact with cam surfaces 10a (FIG. 13); substantially concurrently therewith, needles 3 are further extended by the studs 11 which, in engaging the steps 9a (FIG. 12), raise the bar 5 to the top of its guide slots 8 so as to bring about the needle position of FIG. 6.

If the control mechanism for the knitting needles 3, 4 is so designed that, by a stitch-by-stitch transfer from needles 4, the top loops of the fabric T all end up on the needles 3, pusher bar 5 associated with needles 4 may be omitted and only bar 6 will be needed to elevate the needles 3 into the position of FIG. 6.

At this juncture, shaft 52 is again turned clockwise by the programmer so that traction bar N is partly lifted as it rides up an intermediate-radius portion 53b of each cam disk 53. This action slackens the fabric T and facilitates penetration of its top loops by the pins N as the transfer bar 16 swings from its withdrawn position (FIG. 8) into the operative position in which these pins are interleaved with the needles 3. The swing of the transfer bar is initiated by the control lever 12 which, in acting upon the linkage 19-22, shifts the roller 26 into alignment with the cam 27 rotating at a rate of one revolution per carriage reciprocation. This alignment takes place while a recessed portion 27b of cam 27 confronts the roller 26; as the roller rides up the dwell 27a of the cam, arms 13 oscillate from their dot-dash position (FIG. 1) into their full-line position which corresponds to the interleaved position of pins 17 and needles 3 shown in FIG. 6. The pressure of sleeve 22 upon fork 25, against the reaction force of spring 24, clamps this fork in place so that roller 26 will not ride inwardly on the recessed cam portion 27b and the arms 13 will retain their operative position shown in full line as long as the lever 12 is held elevated by its cooperating stud L. It will be understood that one or more springs, not shown, may be provided for the purpose of biasing the arms 13 toward their withdrawn position.

Cam 27 is so positioned on its shaft 28 that the forward swing of transfer bar coincides with the carriage position of FIGS, 12 and 13 whereby, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the pins 17 penetrate the clips 3a of the fully extended needles 3 after the needles 4 have been retracted. In this position, the studs 11 may be withdrawn into the needle bed F whereas the studs 11 remain extended until after the subsequent retraction of needles 3 (see FIG. 7). Upon such retraction, which prevents the further carriage movement from affecting the needle positions, the pins 17 remain engaged with the loops of fabric T and, for a short while, continue to be oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the needles 3 and parallel to the needles 4. It will be observed from FIG. 1 that this corresponds to the inclination of the pins in the final stage of the for ward swing of the arms 13, with the swivel heads 15 resting on abutments 13a rigid with these arms. This relative position of the transfer bar 16 and the arms 13 is maintained, by the weight of the transfer bar and/ or by supplemental springs not shown, not only in the normal inoperative position of the support 13 (dot-dash lines of FIG. 1) but also in the forward or operative position thereof (full lines) as long as the roller 35 rides on the circular portion 36a of arm 36 from which it is normally separated. Subsequently (FIG. 8) the roller 36 rides up the cam portion 36b which results in a counterclockwise swing (as viewed in FIG. 1) of lever 32, 34 about its fulcrum 33, tensioning the pitman 31 and causing a similar counterclockwise swing of heads 15 and transfer bar 16 whereby the pins 17 are positioned almost level, thus lifting the fabric T at least partly out of the gap between the beds F F Removal of the fabric is completed by the subsequent return swing of the arms 13 during which the transfer position which is illustrated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1.

The operation is then repeated for the knitting of a new Welt, beginning again with the position illustrated in FIG. 9 after the cam disks 53 have completed their clockwise swing from the position shown in FIG. 6.

Although a fully automatic sequence of operations has been described, it will be apparent that some of the steps involved may also be carried out by hand.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine having upwardly converging first and second needle beds, a first and a second set of coacting needles respectively slidable on said beds, and actuating means for co-ordinatedly displacing said needles to produce a knitted welt hanging down from the needles between said beds, the combination therewith of:

a transfer bar having a set of pins interleavable with said first set of needles, the latter being provided with side clips positioned to receive said pins;

drive means operable upon the completion of a welt for moving said transfer bar from a withdrawn position into an interleaved position in which said pins enter in loops of said welt suspended from said first set of needles;

and control means for operating said actuating means to shift all the loops of the uppermost course of said welt to said first set of needles and to extend said first set of needles'into the path of said pins prior to operation of said drive means with subsequent withdrawal of said first set of needles from juxtaposition with said pins upon transfer of said loops to said pins.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes a carriage reciprocable across said bed and an elongated member on said carriage extending in the direction of reciprocation thereof with limited transverse relative mobility, said member being concurrently engageable with said first set of needles for elevating and subsequently retracting same with reference to said first bed.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said actuating means further includes a second elongated memher on said carriage extending in the direction of reciprocation thereof with limited transverse relative mobility, said second member being concurrently engageable with said second set of needles for elevating and subsequently retracting same with reference to said second bed.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said actuating means further comprises first cam means on the first member and second cam means on said second member, said beds being provided with retractable projections engageable with said cam means, said first cam means being stepped for successively elevating said first set of needles into an intermediate position and a fully extended position, said second set of needles being elevatable by said second cam means into an extended position and being provided with side clips enterable in their extended position by said first set of needles in said intermediate position thereof, the last-mentioned clips being disengageable from said first set of needles upon a subsequent retraction of said second set of needles by said second cam means.

5. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises an oscillatory support for said transfer bar, a continuously rotatable cam, a cam follower displaceably carried on said support for facultative engagement with said cam whereby said support is swung into an off-normal position to juxtapose said pins with said first set of needles, and retaining means for temporarily immobilizing said support in said off-normal position.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said cam follower is provided with a setting fork shiftably mounted on a shaft, said retaining means including an element slidable along said shaft for shifting said fork into alignment with said cam and counteracting spring means clam-ping said fork between itself and said element upon such shift- 7. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said support is provided with a swivelable head carrying said transfer bar and positioned to maintain said pins in an inclined position, generally perpendicular to said first set of needles, upon approaching same, said drive means further including mechanism operable in said off-normal position for swinging said head into a more horizontal position of said pins prior to restoration of said support to a normal position.

8. The combination defined in claim 1, further including a traction member initially eugageable with said welt and stress-relieving means responsive to said control means for releasing the tension of said traction member preparatorily to introduction of said pins into said loops.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said traction member is provided with weight means suspended therefrom, said stress-relieving means including rotatable cam means with a volute profile for raising said traction member from its lowermost position upon completion of the final knitting course.

10. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said traction member carries a row of eyelets, a Bowden wire insertable into said eyelets for coupling same with the bottom edge of said welt, and a reversible motor for so inserting said wire at the beginning of a knitting operation and for withdrawing said wire upon introduction of said pins into said loops, said cam means being rotatable for further elevating said traction member just prior to insertion of said wire.

11. The combination defined in claim 10 wherein said motor is suspended from said traction member as part of said weight means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 575,395 1/1897 Granz 66-70 2,186,023 1/1940 Howie 66148 2,216,066 9/1940 Cecka 66-448 2,521,786 9/1950 Granov 66-70 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

R. FELDBAUM, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,349,576 October 31, 1967 Jean Borne It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below In the heading to the printed specification, between lit 6 and 7 insert the following:

Claims priority ap lication France M 15 928,138. p ar 1963 Signed and sealed this 3rd day of December 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. IN A KNITTING MACHINE HAVING UPWARDLY CONVERGING FIRST AND SECOND NEEDLE BEDS, A FIRST AND A SECOND SET OF COACTING NEEDLES RESPECTIVELY SLIDABLE ON SAID BEDS, AND ACTUATING MEANS FOR CO-ORDINATEDLY DISPLACING SAID NEEDLES TO PRODUCE A KNITTED WELT HANGING DOWN FROM THE NEEDLES BETWEEN SAID BEDS, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF; A TRANSFER BAR HAVING A SET OF PINS INTERLEAVABLE WITH SAID FIRST SET OF NEEDLES, THE LATTER BEING PROVIDED WITH SIDE CLIPS POSITIONED TO RECEIVE SAID PINS; DRIVE MEANS OPERABALE UPON THE COMPLETION OF A WELT FOR MOVING SAID TRANSFER BAR FROM WITHDRAWN POSITION INTO AN INTERLEAVED POSITION IN WHICH SAID PINS ENTER IN LOOPS OF WELT SUSPENDED FROM SAID FIRST SET OF NEEDLES AND CONTROL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID ACTUATING MEANS TO SHIFT ALL THE LOOPS OF THE UPPERMOST COURSE OF SAID WET TO SAID FIRST SET OF NEEDLES AND TO EXTEND SAID FIRST SET OF NEEDLES INTO THE PATH OF SAID PINS PRIOR TO 